The Life we Built
by CastleShadow
Summary: In a world where Castle and Beckett's wedding was successful the first time around. AU starting at 6x23. Moments in chronological order.
1. The Wedding

In a world where Castle and Beckett's wedding was successful the first time around. AU starting at 6x23. Moments in chronological order.

The characters (so far) are not mine. They belong to the creators of Castle.

 **1.** **The Wedding**

Kate gives Martha a hug, feeling so overjoyed by current events. She is getting ready to be married to the love of her life, surrounded by family and friends. They release each other quickly, but before anything else can be said, Beckett's phone rings. "Oh, excuse me," she says as she reaches for her phone. She lets out a little squeal of delight at the sight of her caller ID. "It's him!" Martha leaves the room, wanting to give the couple some privacy, telling Beckett that she will be waiting outside.

"Hey, lover. How close are you?" she asks.

"Twenty minutes. And you'll be happy to know things went smoothly with the judge. You are a free woman." Castle answers as he's driving. "But not for long. I've got our marriage license in my pocket and I will be there soon…And Kate?"

"Yeah?" 

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

It is a beautiful day in the Hamptons. The sun is shining brightly over the back yard where all of the guests are waiting for the ceremony to begin. Castle has just made his way to the altar, so it won't be long now. His daughter and two best friends, Javier and Kevin, are standing by his side. They are all dressed in black suits, Alexis' a little more feminine that the rest. She and her father share a look, and small smiles adorn their faces. Alexis is happy to finally be here. After all of the planning and the obstacles they ran into, she just wants this day to end well. Her dad and Kate both deserve it.

The music startles her from her thoughts, and she, along with everyone else present, turns their heads in the direction of the house. The first person to come into sight is Sophia, Beckett's cousin and bridesmaid. Although they are not as close as they used to be, they have kept in touch over the years. Sophia is followed by Beckett's high school friend Maddie and then by her maid of honour, Lanie. All three women are dressed in elegant leaf green dresses. Each are a little different thanks to a few small details. Finally, Kate comes into sight, looking absolutely stunning in her mother's dress. Her arm is linked with her father's as they make their way down the man made aisle between the rows of seats. She looks nervous during the first few strides, until her eyes meet Castle's. Just like that, the butterflies in her stomach are gone and she can't help but smile widely.

When Kate reaches the altar, she gives her dad a kiss and a hug. Jim then shakes Rick's hand and makes his way to his seat. Kate lets out a small giggle. "Hi," she says, a whisper that only Rick can hear. "Hi," he answers, and Kate looks down at her feet timidly, still smiling.

* * *

The ceremony was beautiful. The couple exchanged their vows, and when the officiant said "You may now kiss the bride", Castle did just that. Everyone clapped and cheered as Castle and Beckett kissed passionately. They rested their foreheads together for a moment, taking it all in. When they came apart and made their way back down the aisle, they were ambushed by people wanting to say their congratulations.

Later that evening, after dinner and having been on the dance floor with her husband (how she loved the sound of that), Beckett was taking a break from the crowded dance floor and enjoying a glass of wine. Sophia took a seat next to her underneath the white wedding tent set up in the backyard. They sat for a minute in silence, appreciating the white Christmas lights that twinkled, creating a romantic ambiance.

"It's beautiful," says Sophia, still looking around.

"Thank you," replies Kate. "And thank you for being here, I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else, Kate."

They are quiet for a little longer before Beckett says: "Remember when we were younger? We would sit in the tree house at Papa's. Our favourite time to do it was at night because Papa and Nana lived on the mountain, so we could see the whole city from that spot. It was an amazing sight, all the lights in the distance."

"Mhmm, I remember. That's exactly what this reminds me of too." Sophia replies.

The reminiscing doesn't last much longer because Aunt Theresa comes over and steals Kate away.

She is very thankful when Alexis interrupts their conversation. She loves her aunt, but you definitely need to take her in waves, not all at once. She can become a little overwhelming.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Webster, but could I steal Kate from you?" Alexis asks politely.

"Oh dear, please call me Aunt Theresa."

Alexis nods her head, "Okay, Aunt Theresa," she tries out the new name.

"Wonderful! And to answer your question, yes. You can take Katie, I will see you both later." Aunt Theresa makes her way to Jim Beckett who is sitting with Martha. Kate and Alexis share a knowing look that says "Best of luck to them".

Beckett and Alexis haven't seen much of each other tonight, with so many people to catch up with. They start walking in the direction of the house to get away from all the noise.

"So what's up?" Beckett asks when they've put some distance between themselves and the huge tent full of people.

"I just wanted to say congratulations. We haven't really gotten a minute alone."

"Thank you, Alexis. This would have been impossible without you." Beckett says with so much emotion. "I am so grateful, this night turned out perfectly."

She hesitates a second, but then wraps her arms around her step-daughter, tight and hard.

"I'm glad, Kate. You guys deserve the best." Alexis says into Kate's hair.

It is at this moment that they hear Castle's voice sound out through the microphone.

"Alright, where is my beautiful wife? We have a surprise for you!" he says way too enthusiastically. Kate is a little terrified of what is to come.

Beckett's shocked expression is priceless. She squints her eyes at Alexis, "Did you know about this?"

Alexis just laughs in response. Yes, of course she did. They walk, arms linked, back over to the tent. Beckett is indeed surprised, although she shouldn't be. Castle, Espo, and Ryan have all mastered a dance to the song _What Makes You Beautiful_. It's sweet and funny. One Direction has been a joke between their team for a while now, the boys always acting like fangirls when the boy band is mentioned.

Beckett smiles, clapping along with everyone else when the song (and dance) ends. Her husband walks over to her. She shakes her head at him.

"That was amazing, babe."

"Yeah? We can do an encore if you want," he teases.

"Oh don't worry, I'm confident someone got a video of that. I'll be able to get an encore whenever I want."

Alexis, still standing beside Beckett, pipes up: "We made sure to have video proof of it," she says smiling.

"Traitor," her dad says trying to be serious, but failing.

They all laugh and go back to the dance floor, joining their friends and family.

The night was more perfect than either Kate or Rick could have imagined.


	2. Returning Home

I think it's safe to say that we were all shouting vulgar language towards our TVs at 10:59 last night. Glad we got the ending we did, when you consider the alternative.

 **2\. Returning Home**

The car service just picked them up from the airport. Beckett is tired and looking forward to sleeping in her own bed tonight, but she will definitely miss the beach bungalow in Bora Bora. Waking up every morning for two weeks to sunny skies, warm sand, and a landscape of sparkling blue water was heavenly. Her new husband probably had something to do with what made it so special, but she won't go inflating his ego any more right now. She did plenty of that during their honeymoon, especially during certain rather intimate moments.

Beckett is resting her head on Castle's shoulder. She has her eyes closed so she doesn't realize they've pulled up outside the loft. Castle whispers in her ear "Kate? You still with me?"

She slowly peels her eyes open. "Yeah, just resting my eyes."

They get their bags from the trunk of the car and make their way inside. It's only 5 o'clock in the evening, but they had an early morning so both are pretty tired. The elevator ride up to their floor is made in a comfortable silence. When the ding sounds announcing they're on the correct floor, Castle exits the elevator first, keys ready to unlock the loft door. He swings it open and waits for Beckett to go in first.

"Oh kiddos, you're home!" comes the voice of Martha. "Splendid! Dinner is just about ready."

Martha lays the wooden spoon she is using down on the counter top and rushes over to her son and daughter-in-law. Barely letting them deposit their bags on the floor, she wraps herself around Beckett and then Castle.

"Hi Martha. Hi Alexis," Beckett says, sending a wave to the young girl who is still doing something at the kitchen island.

"Hi guys!" Alexis responds with a smile.

Castle is hanging his jacket in the closet. "I didn't realize you two would be here tonight. I thought you would be too busy on a Saturday evening to worry about us."

"Nonsense, you two must be tired after two weeks in the sun and a long day of travelling," Martha states on her way back into the kitchen. Beckett follows Martha and takes a seat on one of the bar stools, Castle not far behind.

"That is so sweet you two, thank you," Beckett says gently, appreciating the kind gesture. She reaches over and takes Castle's hand in her own. She gives him a look that says "Your family is awesome."

"Plus, we want to know how your honeymoon was."

Beckett opens her mouth to say something, but before she gets a chance Alexis looks up at the newlyweds with serious eyes "And please don't forget your daughter is here, so keep it PG."

The three others laugh at the horrified expression on Alexis' face. Beckett, although she doesn't show any signs, is taken aback at how casually Alexis referred to herself as her daughter. It warms her heart.

"We had a lovely trip. The view from our bungalow was fabulous. The weather cooperated majority of the time, except for…maybe two days of rain, right Castle?"

"Yeah," and with a smug smile he added "and don't worry, we had no trouble occupying ourselves during that ti-"

"DAD!" "Castle!" Alexis and Beckett said simultaneously. Beckett smacked him on his shoulder, but he only grinned.

"Anyways…we fit in some activities like scuba diving, massages, parasailing. And the food was delicious. Oh and there was that cute little café with the best coffee. We went there most days, it was a nice walk from our room."

"Mhmm, it was all lovely. We didn't run into any problems like last time," added Castle.

"You mean breaking your knee cap mere weeks before your trip?" asks his mother with an accusatory stare.

"Yes yes, I know. I shouldn't have been trying to show off," replies Castle dryly, remembering his skiing accident clearly. "What is for dinner? It smells delicious."

"We are having chicken alfredo and garlic bread," says Alexis just as a timer goes off. "Looks like it's ready!"

* * *

Dinner was indeed delicious. The four people had settled into an easy conversation over dinner. They discussed what Martha and Alexis had done during the past two weeks. Alexis told the story of how she met a young man, Lucas, on campus while volunteering. He is a med student, incredibly smart and incredibly handsome, according to the smitten young girl. Castle tried to be supportive, but until he meets Lucas, Beckett knows he'll be worried about his daughter.

Martha has gone up to her room to continue packing. She says she wants to give them room for the other Castle's that are bound to make an appearance soon. She is moving out in a week, having found a perfect two bedroom apartment not far from the loft, so her grandchild (she really said grandchildren) can come visit her.

The other three inhabitants of the loft are sitting comfortably on the couch. Castle is in the middle with his daughter leaning into his right side and Beckett tucked into his left. He flips through channels until he sees _The Dark Night_ , only twenty minutes into the film, so he settles for that. By the end of the movie, he and Alexis are whispering their comments as not to wake his sleeping wife.

"Alright, I'm off to bed. Goodnight dad, I love you." Alexis leans in to press a kiss to her father's cheek.

"Goodnight Pumpkin, I love you too." Castle says watching as Alexis makes her way to the stairs.

He sits there contently watching his wife sleep for a little while. Eventually, remembering that staring is creepy (not that it ever stops him), Castle decides it's bedtime. He debates whether he should wake his wife or carry her to bed, finally deciding to carry her. He lifts her up rather ungracefully and she stirs but settles back down in his arms, her head on his chest. When he lays her down on their bed, her eyes open and she smiles.

"Sorry, I hoped you wouldn't wake up"

"Mmm no worries, babe. Thank you."

Castle does his nightly routine, puts on boxers and a t-shirt and brushes his teeth. Then he crawls into his side of the bed and spoons Beckett, laying his arm around her middle. She scoots back into him a little and whispers "Goodnight Rick"

"Goodnight Kate, I love you."

"Love you too" she mumbles into her pillow.

And soon all four residents are sleeping soundly, awaiting the morning sun.


	3. The Amusement Park

**3\. The Amusement Park**

It has been just under three weeks since Castle and Beckett have returned from their honeymoon. It is a Friday at 4:30 and the gang is in the bull pen finishing up some paperwork. Well… Castle is rambling on about some conspiracy theory that he believes would have made for a more exciting story. Their case was an easy solve. They got the call this morning around 9:30 and made an arrest at 4 o'clock. They are still waiting for some evidence to come in from the lab but they have enough without it to take the dirt bag in. He killed a small store owner in a panic early this morning when the owner caught him selling drugs in the alley behind his store. Video surveillance puts him at the scene as well as a witness. The guy got rid of the murder weapon, which was found in a dumpster nearby. Prints were a match. The bloody clothes were found in his apartment, burning in the bathtub. The lab is trying to get a match on the blood samples, although they aren't positive they will be able to seeing as the damage from the flames left almost nothing to be examined.

"I'm just saying it would have been way more exciting if it happened that way." Castle concludes his rant with this.

Ryan, looking way too interested in what Castle has been saying, nods his head. "Yeah, and if he-" Ryan stops when he sees the glare Kate is sending him.

"We solved the case guys. No need to continue speculating," she directs at all three guys, but mostly at Castle and Ryan.

"Fine, but one day this will happen and you'll be sorry we didn't discuss the matter further."

"Sure Castle, let me know when that day comes."

Before long, it's 5 o'clock and their team is heading out for the day.

"So are we all still meeting at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning?" Espo asks as they gather up their stuff.

"Yep, we are still a go." Castle says with a little more bounce in his step than usual. They wanted to do something altogether seeing as it has been a while since their last outing. When Castle suggested going to an amusement park, Beckett was surprisingly happy with his idea. She loved amusement parks growing up and hasn't been since she was a teenager. The thrill you get when you're going down a steep hill, the cotton candy, she loved it all. Lanie and Espo weren't quite as enthusiastic as the rest of the group, but they're coming along too. Together they decided a Saturday in June would be best so that the weather would be nice but the park wouldn't be too terribly busy seeing as kids are still in school.

"Yeah, us too. Sarah Grace obviously won't be able to do many rides tomorrow, but it's her first big outing. We're hoping it goes well."

"Of course it will Ryan, you have the perfect baby. She's always so calm. Why do you think we babysit so often?" Beckett says with a wink.

"You'd be on your own if your child wasn't so well behaved," adds Castle jokingly.

They all go their separate ways with promises of seeing each other the following day.

* * *

Saturday is a warm day, and a little cloudy with a breeze. Perfect for their planned activities.

"Hi there beautiful girl," Beckett says reaching to take Sarah Grace from her father's arms. She has grown so much since she was born, but she's still small for a 5 month old. Sarah Grace giggles when Beckett tickles her sides. They are at the entrance gate of Coney Island, waiting for Espo and Lanie to arrive. Castle and Beckett take turns holding and entertaining the baby until they spot the last two of the group coming towards them. Soon they are wandering the mildly busy pathways inside the park trying to decide where to start. They agree to do some of the bigger rides before it gets any busier and the lines get long.

Their first stop is the Thunderbolt which has a 90 degree vertical drop right at the beginning, and then a loop. Lanie and Jenny both want to skip this one, not wanting too much thrill this early in the morning. So Beckett and the boys make their way over, only having to wait 15minutes in line. When they are all buckled in and making their way to the top, Castle looks over at Beckett.

"You ready?"

"You bet, I've been looking forward to this all week."

"You can hold my hand if you're scared."

"I think I can manage, but Espo and Ryan are looking a little green. Maybe they need the support"

"I heard that," Esposito pipes up from the row behind them.

Kate only smiles.

Then they drop. Castle is screaming like a little girl the entire way down and it stops when they reach the bottom, only to continue when they're upside down in the loop. A flash goes off, indicating a picture has been taken. When their cart rolls to a stop at the platform, they all hop out of the roller coaster quickly and make their way to Lanie, Jenny and the baby. Castle stops to buy a picture which displays him, mouth wide open, screaming. The boys are both smiling widely in the picture and Kate… she actually looks like she's going to be sick. He looks up at her.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? You don't look so good in the picture."

"Gee, thanks Castle. You certainly know how to charm a girl."

He lets out a small laugh. "No I'm serious Kate, do you feel sick?"

"I kinda felt like it after that first drop but it passed. Don't worry, it's just been a while since I've been on one of these things."

"Okay, well then let's go to Luna 360 next! It spins you around until you're upside down." With that, they all make their way over to the next ride. Again, Lanie and Jenny decide to sit this one out.

Castle was correct, that ride spun you over and over again until you were upside down. The sick feeling came back to Beckett and she had to close her eyes and take deep breaths in order to avoid vomiting while still in the air. When the ride stopped, she got out of there as fast as she could and rushed to the women's washroom. Lanie passes Sarah Grace to Jenny and follows Beckett into the ladies room. The boys all share a look of concern.

"Yo, is Beckett feeling alright?" Espo asks Castle.

Castle shrugged, "She felt a little sick after the roller coaster but said she would be fine."

Meanwhile, inside the washroom, Lanie is holding Beckett's long, wavy brown hair from her face as she leans over a garbage can and vomits. She was headed for a toilet but she thought twice about that. After a few minutes her stomach seems to calm down.

"You okay girl? Or do you need a few more minutes?" Lanie asks patiently.

"No I think I'm good now. Thank you, and sorry. I thought the feeling would pass."

"No worries Kate, brings me back to our days of late nights and bars."

Beckett laughs "Don't remind me. Uhhg, what a day to be sick."

She walks over to the sink and washes her mouth out with water. Lanie pokes her on the shoulder and offers her a piece of mint gum.

"Thanks," Beckett murmurs and they make their way back outside. When they reach the others, Castle wraps an arm around her shoulders and kisses the top of her head.

"Sorry guys, looks like I might be sitting out on some rides today. My stomach doesn't seem to be able to handle all the commotion today."

"Do you want to go home, Kate? Get some rest?" asks Castle.

"No! No reason you guys can't enjoy it. Plus, I'll just get to spend a little more time with my niece." She smiles towards Sarah Grace who is busy chewing on her mom's finger.

* * *

The rest of the day goes smoothly. The boys hit a few more high thrill rides and even convince Lanie and Jenny to go on one. Both women enjoyed it more than expected. Afterwards they grab lunch from a food truck, sharing a bunch of dishes that included mac and cheese, poutine, chicken fingers, and of course for dessert, funnel cake. Sarah Grace makes some pretty funny faces as they allow her to nibble on some foods she has never tasted before, making everyone erupt in laughter. Beckett snaps a few pictures on her phone to have as a keepsake.

After lunch, the gang heads over to the kiddie section so that Sarah Grace can experience some of the fun. Her favourite thing was the Carousel. Her eyes kept darting towards all the horses that were moving slowly up and down. She was mesmerized by the sight. She was equally as interested in the seal show. She would laugh and point towards the seals and trainers when they performed a trick.

Around 4:30, Sarah Grace was falling asleep in Beckett's arms. Understandable considering she hadn't had her nap. Castle suggests moving the party over to the loft so that the baby could sleep and they could have some dinner.

Back at the loft, Beckett lays Sarah Grace down in the middle of her and Castle's king size bed, pressing a kiss to her temple. Next she makes her way to the couch where Lanie and Jenny are waiting with a glass of wine ready. Beckett takes it graciously and sits down with her friends. The boys are on dinner duty tonight. The girls are sitting talking when the smell of dinner hits their noses.

"Oh wow that smells good. Rick must be making his lemon garlic beans." Jenny is practically salivating as she speaks. Beckett, however, starts to feel nauseous again. Lanie notices her change in demeanor and helps her up and into the washroom connected to Beckett's bedroom. For the second time today, she throws up. After washing up, she looks up at Lanie and gets nervous by the look her friend is giving her.

"What?" she asks.

"Kate Beckett," Lanie starts and then pauses… "Are you pregnant?"


	4. Two Long Minutes

**4\. Two Long Minutes**

" _Oh wow that smells good. Rick must be making his lemon garlic beans." Jenny is practically salivating as she speaks. Beckett, however, starts to feel nauseous again. Lanie notices her change in demeanor and helps her up and into the washroom connected to Beckett's bedroom. For the second time today, she throws up. After washing up, she looks up at Lanie and gets nervous by the look her friend is giving her._

" _What?" she asks._

" _Kate Beckett," Lanie starts and then pauses… "Are you pregnant?"_

Beckett is frozen in her spot. Her immediate reaction to Lanie's question is "No, there's no way. We've discussed it but we haven't started trying yet."

Even Beckett knows this is a weak argument. Protection doesn't guarantee anything- and then it hits her. There was one night where no protection was used. It was a night four weeks ago during their honeymoon in Bora Bora. She and Castle had taken a three hour nap during the day, so at 3 o'clock in the morning they were wide awake. Their walk on the beach under the stars had started very innocently. It ended, however, with Beckett and Castle in the ocean doing things they would have never considered doing in the daylight. Not having planned these nocturnal events, the couple hadn't been prepared with protection.

"Oh my God. Lanie… you don't think?" Beckett's mind is reeling. Four weeks ago… It was a possibility. She had never had a consistent menstrual cycle, it would vary between 4-6 weeks in between cycles, so that wasn't an indication in this situation.

"Yes sweetie, I do think." Lanie is beaming now at the thought of her best friend being pregnant. Not wanting to jump to conclusions though, she asks Beckett if she has a pregnancy test.

"Yeah because I keep a stash of those in my bathroom," Beckett says sarcastically.

"Well you really should."

"Lanie, I could be pregnant right now." Beckett is both terrified and excited. There's no denying that she wants this, she just didn't expect it so soon. "I need to find out."

"We can't exactly rush outta here, no explanation, and not get some questions when we come back."

"No. No you're right. Dammit."

Lanie laughs. Beckett huffs a sigh. She decides she can wait until the following day to go to the pharmacy and get the test. Tonight, she has a loft full of people she loves to distract her. When the girls are back in the living room, Jenny attributes their absence to Beckett's stomach bug, not recognizing the alternative possibility. Beckett reaches for her glass of wine, and realization dawns on her. If she is indeed pregnant, she can't drink anymore wine. She stands and tells them that perhaps water would be best, not wanting to upset her stomach any more. As she reaches the sink and dumps her glass, she overhears Ryan say "I'll run to the store quick and grab it. It's a necessity when eating pierogis."

Beckett jumps into the conversation. "What do you need to get Ryan?"

"Some sour cream, your fridge is lacking it."

"I'll go!" she says a little too quickly, and way too enthusiastically. "I mean we'll go. The girls and I. You three are cooking, let us run to the store." She tries to save herself.

"I don't mind Beckett."

"No seriously, I wouldn't mind a bit of fresh air anyways."

"Okay, if you insist."

* * *

Jenny is certainly surprised when they fill her in on their way to the superstore which carries both sour cream and pregnancy tests. She also appreciates being brought into the loop about this particular matter, it makes her feel included. They make it a fast trip, all eager to return to the loft. Beckett ends up buying 3 different brands of pregnancy tests, worried that one is better than another and not having the time to actually read the boxes. The line at the cash register is short and the three of them are out of there in no time. Back at the loft, they hand the sour cream to the boys after removing their shoes.

"Thank you ladies," says Castle in his charming manner. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

"Okay, we're just going to go check on Sarah Grace," replies Beckett before giving her husband a quick kiss on the lips.

Half way to the bedroom, Jenny slows to a stop. "I'll give you girls some privacy."

Beckett turns at the sound of Jenny's voice. "Oh no Jenny. I want you to be in there."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind wait-"

Beckett just rolls her eyes and grabs a hold of Jenny's arm, tugging her along with them.

Lanie and Jenny wait in the bedroom watching the baby while Beckett pees on the sticks. She emerges a minute later with an alarm set on her phone. The 2 minute waiting period is filled with anxious looks. They are the two longest minutes of Beckett's life. All that she can think about is the possibility of her and Castle having a child. How will Alexis react? Will she be a good mother? Beckett is panicking, but she also pictures a little boy that looks just like her husband and a little girl with her curls and his eyes. Despite the panic, eagerness and adoration also settle inside of her. When her phone finally vibrates (not using sound to avoid waking Sarah Grace), she is startled from her thoughts. She looks up at her two friends who both give her an encouraging smile. Finally, Beckett flips over the first pregnancy test.

Beckett's heart stops.

A plus sign.

She flips the next two tests over, both indicating the same results. Positive. Her eyes fill with tears. She's speechless. Lanie walks over to her and wraps her arms tightly around her friend, still unsure of what the results are. When Beckett pulls away, she beams at both of her friends.

"They're positive."

Squeals of delight follow. And then Beckett's shushing the two other adults in the room because she doesn't want to wake her niece- or alert the men in the kitchen of what's going on.

"Girl you're pregnant!" Lanie says in a hushed whisper.

"Congratulations Kate!" comes from an excited Jenny.

Their excitement is interrupted by Esposito shouting "Dinner is ready!" from the kitchen. The girls walk towards the dining room table, all sharing a massive secret. Kate is overjoyed with this information and can't wait to share it with her husband. She's already thinking about it in her mind over dinner. Should she just hand Castle the tests? Should she announce it to him in some extravagant way like he would do? She looks across the table and finds her husband's eyes watching her closely. Beckett blushes furiously. Who is she kidding? The man knows her too well. He is most definitely already aware of the fact that something is up. He would get it out of her before she could pull off something extravagant. Looks like tonight is the night.

Castle will soon find out their family is gaining a little, tiny member.


	5. A New Photo

**5\. A New Photo**

Castle closes the door behind Esposito and Lanie, who are the last to leave after their eventful day. He wanders over to the kitchen, where his wife stands doing dishes, and starts to help her with the clean-up.

"Babe, there's no need. You cooked, I clean."

"What if I want to spend some time with my stunning wife? Am I allowed to do that?"

"I suppose, if you absolutely have to," she teases.

"Oh I see, so you don't want me here? You don't want my help with the dishes?"

Beckett is trying to hide a little smirk. She casually shakes her head "no" to respond to Castle's question.

He loosens his grip on the plate he is holding and puts it back on the drying rack. His fingers take a detour and land on her hips. He moves so that his body is pressed up against Beckett's back. His fingers dance across her shirt teasingly as if they might lift it up and connect with her skin, and his mouth approaches her neck. He whispers his next words, making Beckett shiver.

"You don't want my help anywhere? Not in the precinct, solving cases?" Again Beckett shakes her head "no".

"Not at family events, when dealing with Aunt Theresa?" She mimics her earlier action of shaking her head.

"Not in the bedroom-" and that's where she cuts him off. Beckett spins in her husband's arms and covers his mouth with hers. The kiss is heated, but Beckett pulls away too quickly in Castle's opinion. "I was going to say making the bed."

" _Yeah, as if"_ Beckett thinks to herself. With sparkling eyes, she pulls her husband towards their bedroom.

"Castle, there's something I want to show you."

"Oh I love surprises, especially ones that start in the bedroom."

Beckett rolls her eyes. She can't blame Castle for his thinking, she _had_ just ambush kissed him in the kitchen, but her surprise was sooo much better than some new lingerie or a new toy.

"Castle, not that kind of surprise."

"Now I'm intrigued. Could this have something to do with what had you so lost in thought over dinner?"

"You noticed that huh? I can't hide anything from you, Mr. Detective."

"I did learn from the best."

Beckett stops in front of her dresser, letting her eyes wander over the picture frames that sit on the top. Their family. Photos of herself and Castle, of Martha and Alexis, of the four of them together, of her mother and father. She gets an idea.

"Castle, I want to put up another photo."

"I don't think people who wander in here would appreciate seeing nude photos of you and I."

Beckett smacks his shoulder. "I'm being serious here Castle."

He laughs. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Which photo would you like to add to our collection?"

Beckett opens the top drawer of her dresser and pulls out one of the three pregnancy tests. Opening her palm to reveal the item, she says "A picture of our baby."

His eyes go wide after a few seconds, when he realizes what it is that Beckett is holding. Then his mouth falls open in the form of an "O". Castle keeps looking between the object resting in Beckett's palm and his wife's eyes. He wants to say something, but he's speechless. His mother was right when she said that for a man who makes a living with words, he has a hard time finding them when it counts. After a minute of Castle looking dumbfounded and having no other reaction, Beckett begins to panic. She thought her husband would be thrilled. They've talked about having children and he's always expressed interest in expanding their family.

"Castle?" she says slowly. "What are you thinking?"

"I…we…we're…Kate, we're having a baby." And finally his look of shock turns to one of pure happiness. He smiles not only with his mouth, but also with his eyes. The panic that has surfaced inside of Beckett quickly leaves and she shares a similar look to that of her husband. Castle grabs her face in his hands and places a chaste kiss on Beckett's lips. He wraps his arms around her tightly, giving her a warm hug full of emotion. They stay like that for a long time, just letting this new information sink in.

"Oh my God Beckett. Bora bora… our night in the ocean." Castle is putting the pieces together.

Beckett lets out a small laugh "I know, we made a baby that night Rick. I'm glad we didn't think to bring protection with us."

"I'm glad you were too far gone to resist me when you realized we didn't have any," he says with a smug grin.

* * *

They are lying in bed that night, each reading a book. Castle places a bookmark in between the pages and lies his book down on the nightstand to his left. He scooches down in the bed until his head is level with Beckett's stomach. She looks at him quizzically.

Lifting Beckett's loose sleep shirt so that there is no barrier between him and her belly, Castle says: "Hi baby. It's your daddy. I just wanted to formally introduce myself. It'll be a while before we get to see each other face to face, but at least you'll get to hear my voice." Beckett's heart melts at the words her husband is speaking to their unborn child. "We don't know if you're a boy or a girl yet, so forgive us if the word "it" happens to slip out. You are so much more than an "it"." Castle continues to talk to the baby for at least fifteen minutes. He tells the baby about his or her brave mommy, eccentric grams, intelligent sister, strong grandpa and so much more. Beckett has tears in her eyes when Castle looks up at her.

"Kate?"

Beckett smiles and shakes her head.

"I love you so much," she whispers.

"I love you too." Castle replies. He climbs back up in bed, presses a slow kiss to Beckett's lips, and they snuggle into bed together.

That night, both of them dream of small feet and small hands.


	6. Sharing the News

In this story, they got married April 5th, 2014. They honeymooned for two weeks, three more weeks before they discovered Beckett was pregnant (happened to be Mother's Day Weekend). This chapter takes place a week after they found out.

 **6\. Sharing the News**

They decide to tell Martha, Alexis, and Jim the news first, followed by Ryan and Esposito. Castle was a little disappointed that he wouldn't get to witness Lanie's reaction, seeing as she was with Beckett when she took the pregnancy test. He did, however, find the story of Beckett basically begging Ryan to let them go to the superstore that night pretty funny.

They decided to share the news with Alexis and Martha the following weekend. Alexis had spent Mother's Day weekend in LA celebrating with Meredith. On Sunday, Kate opened the loft door to a delivery man. Alexis had sent her a bouquet of white and pink lilies with a note attached.

 _Kate,  
Thank you for your presence in both my dad's and in my life. You are a blessing to us all, and I am so glad I get to call you family. Very excited for dinner next weekend! _

_Happy Mother's Day_

 _Love,  
Alexis_

Beckett was delighted to have received this gift from her step-daughter, and was also excited for their celebration dinner. It was the perfect setup. Alexis and Martha were already planning on having dinner with them Friday night, so they decided to make the announcement then. Castle wanted something extravagant (of course), and Beckett wanted something symbolic, so they settled on a plan in between. The fact that they were celebrating Mother's Day made things a little easier.

* * *

Alexis rushes down the loft stairs, wearing a royal blue knee length dress, shouting so that her father and Beckett can hear. "Guys! Grams is here. Are you two ready to go?"

"Coming!" Beckett shouts back from the bedroom. She is wearing a slim fitting, red, lace dress that stops mid-thigh. Beckett knows it won't be long before she won't fit into her clothes so she is happy to have the opportunity to wear something nice.

A minute later, all four individuals are standing near the front door, shoes on, ready to go. Castle discretely grabs three gift bags from the front closet before they make their exit.

When they arrive at the Italian restaurant, the hostess leads the group into a private room.

"Richard, darling, why are we in isolation tonight?" Castle hoped his mother and daughter would overlook that fact. They didn't want to make the announcement in the middle of a crowded restaurant, but they also didn't want to change the original plan to eat chez _La Masseria Dei Vini_ _._ So the only option left was one of the private rooms at the back.

"I just wanted something a little more private for the occasion, that's all," he replies nonchalantly.

Martha sends him a questioning glance, but when he doesn't react, she drops it.

They fall into easy conversation over dinner, all enjoying their marvelous meals. When they're all filled up on dessert and there is a lull in the conversation, Castle jumps on the opportunity. Grabbing two of the gift bags, he sets one in front of Martha, and the other in front of Alexis.

"What's all this, darling?" Martha asks.

"Just a little surprise for the two of you. Go on, open them."

Martha and Alexis share an inquisitive look before turning back to the bags sitting in front of them. At the same time, their hands move from where they were sitting on the table to dive into the wrapping paper, removing it and revealing the gifts lying beneath.

Alexis lets out a gasp. Martha directs her eyes towards her son and her daughter-in-law.

"Are you- Kate… does this mean what I think it does?" Alexis stutters, not knowing how to express herself. In her bag was a tiny grey onesie with a white triangle on the chest, and inside were the words "I look up to my sister" in a light yellow font. Martha had one very similar, same colours, but instead it said "What happens at Grandma's, Stays at Grandma's."

Beckett nods her head, with a beaming smile on her face. She takes her husband's hand before speaking. "Yes, it does!"

"Congratulations kiddos!" Martha exclaims happily. Both women stand up from their seats and walk around the table to hug Castle and Beckett.

"I'm so happy for you two," Alexis says. "A tiny baby, this is so exciting."

"Don't go getting any ideas, Alexis," states Castle very seriously.

"Oh stop dad, no ideas forming in my head. Other than buying more adorable outfits for YOUR child. How far along are you anyways, Kate?"

"I'm about five weeks along. When we went to Coney Island last week, I was so sick all day. Apparently the baby doesn't like the fast, spiny or loopy rides." Beckett lets out a sigh thinking back to how sick she was that day. Not that she would change a thing.

As they all settle back down at the table, Castle pulls out the gift bag from his jacket.

"And this is for you, mommy."

Beckett is surprised. When it subsides, she reaches in and takes out another little unisex outfit that says "I'm the Reason my Mommy Drinks Coffee", with a few coffee beans decorating the bottom of the shirt. She laughs, and turns the cute little ensemble around so that Martha and Alexis can see. They laugh as well.

"There's one more thing in there, Beckett."

When she takes out the next piece of clothing, she's not sure whether she should be amused or not.

"Please tell me you did not-" comes from Alexis.

"Richard! No." Martha exclaims with a similar tone of disapproval.

"Our child is not wearing this, Castle."

"Oh come on! It's so fitting. You're a cop and I write mystery novels."

"Fitting, yes. But our child is still not wearing this." Beckett gives him that piercing look that kind of scares him.

"Fine." Castle looks disappointed when he reaches over to grab the blue Kevlar vest from his wife's hands that has the word "Baby" printed across the chest. "Can we at least keep it?"

"Of course Castle. We'll hang it in his or her room. It just can't be seen in public, people may call the cops on us."

"You do realize that you are the cops so really-"

"We'll hang it in the baby's room. That's it." Castle seems to finally accept this. He leans over and kisses Beckett tenderly on the mouth.

"Okay, I'd like that."

The rest of the evening is spent discussing all things baby related. They already feel so supported even by just a small fraction of their family.

* * *

"Thanks for meeting us here for brunch dad." Beckett states as she opens the loft door for her father.

"No worries, Katie," Jim responds as he pulls his daughter into a hug. Beckett takes his jacket and hangs it in the front closet. Together they walk over to the kitchen where Castle is finishing up brunch. He pauses from his cooking to shake Jim's hand.

Soon the three people have migrated over to the table to enjoy the delicious meal Castle and Beckett prepared together. They decided to take a similar route to the one they took when announcing the surprise to Castle's side of the family.

"So dad, Rick and I have some good news."

Swallowing the eggs he had in his mouth, Jim questions "Yeah? What is it?"

"Well… see for yourself," Beckett says as she hands him a gift bag with a onesie lying inside.

Jim sneaks in one more bite of food before reaching for the bag. When his eyes land on the object inside, he starts choking.

"Water, dad. Drink some water."

Jim nods and reaches for his glass of water sitting to his right. When the coughing stops, he looks up at the two people sitting across from him. "You're pregnant, Katie?"

"Yeah dad, we're pregnant."

"That's wonderful." A smile slowly makes its way onto his face.

Jim is truly excited. He is definitely not as expressive as the Castle's, but his face says it all. Complete joy, from his smile to his eyes. The soon to be grandpa is very excited for his grandchild to get to wear his or her "Born to Love Baseball" onesie, the "o" being replaced by a small animated baseball.

* * *

The gang is sitting around a booth at the old haunt. When one of the waitresses comes by to ask for their orders, everyone tells the polite young girl their requests. When Beckett shares her order of "Just a water, please, Kyla", she gets two questioning looks from her partners.

"Yo girl, why aren't you getting a real drink? After a case like we had today, you oughta celebrate." Esposito declares.

It's true. The case they closed today had been going on for three days and it had been exhausting. The killer was smart, but not smarter than her team. Under different circumstances, she would have celebrated with some beer, but not tonight.

"Well boys, I happen to be getting water because," she pauses a moment, and from the look in Ryan's eyes she thinks he has already put it together, "I'm pregnant."

Esposito's jaw drops and Ryan grins. Yeah, he definitely suspected.

"No freaking way!" Esposito's look of shock turns to excitement as he pats Castle on the back.

"Congratulations guys," Ryan says. "Sarah Grace is gonna have a play date buddy." When he looks over at Jenny, he realizes she's not at all surprised by the news. "Wait, did you know?" he asks his wife.

Jenny freezes. "Umm…well…I" she doesn't know what to say without slightly disappointing her husband. Beckett laughs at this.

"Yes, Lanie and Jenny were with me when I found out." Beckett goes on to tell the story about why she was sick the previous weekend, and why she was so insistent on going to pick up the sour cream. "We wanted to tell you guys tonight. We're telling Gates tomorrow. I've been dreading it because I know I'll be on desk duty." Beckett sighs at the thought. She'll do anything to protect their baby, but that is a lot of months of paperwork and only going to crime scenes that have been declared safe.

"The end result is, of course, worth it," Beckett says. And she is very eager to meet that end result.


	7. Coming Soon to this Household

Happy Canada Day to all the Canadians!

 **7\. Coming Soon to This Household**

 _10 weeks_

Beckett wakes up earlier than her alarm. For the past few weeks her morning sickness has been horrible, and today is no exception. Immediately recognizing the feeling, she throws her legs off the bed and rushes into the ensuite bathroom. When the minimal contents of her stomach have been emptied, she washes her mouth and face and returns to bed. She's happy when Castle speeks up, the sound of his voice making her at ease.

"Beckett? Y'kay?"

"Morning sickness, the usual." She lays back down on her side of the bed and Castle gets closer to her, letting his mouth linger over her belly.

"Mommy has to work in a few hours, baby. Maybe we should help her sleep for a little longer, how does that sound?" Then he starts to sing softly. Beckett always finds it beautiful when he does this. It calms her down and seems to eliminate the nauseating feeling. When Castle finishes the lullaby, Beckett curls into him and lets sleep take over.

 _12 weeks_

Castle is writing in his office when he hears the familiar sound of Beckett's heels on the hardwood floor. It's early. Only 3:30 in the afternoon, she shouldn't be home for another two hours. He saves his document and is about to go greet his wife when she appears in the doorway. She says absolutely nothing. Instead, she rushes to Castle, takes his face in her hands and crushes her lips against his. Castle lets out a grunt of surprise. It takes him a moment but then his lips start to respond and the kiss gets heated very quickly. He pulls away, which grants him a glare from his wife.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this, but what sparked the need to ambush me when you got home? Not to mention 2 hours earlier than normal."

Sighing, Beckett says "All I could think about all God damn day was you and your stupid hands and mouth."

"A little horny I take it?"

"Shut up Castle. It's the hormones, I swear."

"Remind me to thank them later." He leans in and captures her mouth. Without breaking their connection, he leads her into the bedroom.

 _14 weeks_

Castle is an adventurous guy, there is no doubt. Even when it comes to food, he likes to mix some weird things together. He did, after all, invent the smorelette. However, he is having trouble understanding how Beckett is eating some of the strange foods that she puts together. Castle is looking at her plate with complete disgust which causes Beckett to roll her eyes.

"Castle! Seriously? You've never seen a person eat ice cream, or pickles, or mac and cheese?"

"Yes darling I have… Although I have never seen a person eat all of those things at once, all mixed together in a bowl."

"The baby wants what the baby wants." Beckett responds around a mouthful of her concoction.

"Yes alright. Do you want anything to drink with-" he looks at the mess on her plate "-that?"

"Yes please, I'll have some tea."

Beckett would definitely prefer to have coffee, but she has been settling for caffeine free teas. And while she is enjoying the food on her plate, she would also prefer one of Castle's smorelettes. She considered asking him for one today, but didn't want him gloating. It won't be long before pickles, ice cream and mac and cheese won't cut it though. This baby is adamant that he or she will get one of Daddy's special smorelettes.

 _16 weeks_

"Do you want to bet on it?"

"Really Castle? You want to bet on the reproductive organs of our child?"

They are sitting in the waiting room of the OB/GYN office and today they find out the sex of the baby. Castle is convinced they are having a boy.

"Yes Beckett, I want to bet you that we're having a boy."

"The only problem with that, Castle, is that I also think we're having a boy."

"Fine, no bet. This is no fun." Castle doesn't get to pout for long as they are called in to the doctor's office. Beckett lays down on the chair and lifts her shirt up to reveal her stomach. Castle and Beckett are holding hands when Doctor Eiver walks in.

"Hi Rick. Hi Kate. How are you feeling?" She gives them a smile before starting to write stuff down on a clipboard.

"The morning sickness is a little better but not much. I'm feeling great overall though."

"It should start to slow down soon seeing as you're part way through your second trimester. I can't guarantee anything though, every woman and every pregnancy is different. But I'm glad you're feeling well otherwise. I'm going to check the baby's heart beat and then hopefully he or she will let us have a peek between their legs." Castle and Beckett both laugh. They really like their doctor. She is very accommodating and quite humorous.

"Okay, so the baby's heartbeat is strong. That's wonderful news. I'm going to put some gel on your stomach for the ultrasound. Just a heads up, it'll be cold." Beckett nods her head. They've already done an ultrasound so she knows what to expect. After a few minutes of the doctor looking at the screen and moving her hand to try and find some evidence of the baby's sex, she is finally successful.

"There we go." She turns the screen to them and starts to identify what they're looking at. The baby's head, arms, legs. "Right here, between the legs… you see that? It appears we have a boy."

Rick is beaming. Beckett is crying. "Babe, look at him." She says through her tears.

"Amazing. Our _boy_ is amazing. _You_ are amazing." He squeezes her hand.

"Now I want to warn you that this is not one hundred percent accurate. I have been mistaken in the past. But I'm fairly confident that you have a little boy growing in there.

 _17 weeks_

They are sitting on the couch in the living room on a stormy night. Beckett has a warm cup of tea, and Castle has a mug filled with coffee. Both are sitting with a notepad in their hands as they discuss baby names.

"Beckett, I'm telling you Cosmo is perfect."

"Castle, for the millionth time, no. We are not naming our child Cosmo."

"But Beckett-"

"Cosmo Castle. Do you really like the sound of that?"

"Yes."

"No."

Pouting, he reluctantly says "Okay." It is quiet for a few minutes as Castle and Beckett think, trying to find names that they like and that they both agree on, which is proving to be quite difficult.

When Castle suggests another name, he looks a little nervous. "What if we named the baby after your mom and dad? Middle name, James for a boy and Johanna for a girl." Beckett ponders the idea for a minute. She likes the thought of honouring her parents in that way, and also that Castle proposed as a middle name. The baby's first name should be something that is completely his or her own. She looks him in the eyes with complete adoration. "I like that."

Any nervous feelings he had were gone and his goofy enthusiastic self was back. "Okay, great! So now we have middle names." They kept throwing ideas around for a while. Many of Castle's suggestions were based on fantasy stories, mostly Harry Potter. Beckett shot down the name Potter. She had said: "Our son will not be named Potter James Castle. That would be ridiculous." to which Castle replied "Yeah now that you point that out, it totally would." After much more contemplation, many more refusals, and a lot of laughs, the couple has two short lists of names to choose from. For a boy they both agree on Alexander, Andrew, Elijah, James, Nathan, Noah and Wyatt. For a girl they have the names Avery, Elizabeth, Emily, Finn, Johanna, Kimberly, Layla and Luna listed.

"Choosing just one is the hardest part." Frustrated, Beckett closes her eyes and leans her head against the back of the couch.

"You know, we have narrowed it down quite a bit. I think this is far enough. Why don't we make our decision when we actually get to see our little boy's face."

With her eyes still closed, her words laced with fatigue, she corrects him. "The Doc said it could be a girl."

"Either way, I think it's time for bed. You go get ready, I'll bring these mugs into the kitchen." As he stands to clean up, she reaches for his wrist to stop him. Castle is pulled down into a slow, tender kiss.

"Thank you." Beckett whispers as they pull away.

"Always."

 _18 weeks_

Beckett is staring down at the endless paperwork pilled on her desk. Every day she spends hours filling out paperwork. Castle is often at the precinct which makes these long tedious days bearable, but today he has a meeting with Black Pawn. Beckett is about to get up to use the ladies room when she feels something strange in her abdomen. It's like the sensation of butterflies in her stomach and for a moment she forgets how to breathe. She has read enough pregnancy books to know that she is feeling the baby moving around. Eyes wide, she reaches down and rests her hand over her baby.

Ryan and Espo are walking into the bullpen after running down a lead. Espo nudges Ryan with his elbow and nods his head in the direction of their partner. Ryan glances up at Beckett, whose mouth is hanging open and who looks very concerned. He shrugs his shoulders, not knowing what has got their friend looking the way she does. Concern seeps into them as they approach Beckett and notice the hand resting on her stomach.

"Yo Beckett, everything alright?"

She is startled by the sound of Esposito's voice. She looks up and notices her boys standing just in front of her with worried faces. "Yeah, no, I'm good." A smile stretches across her features.

"You sure?" Ryan inquires.

"Yes, totally sure. Just lost in thought." She stands up and starts to put on her blaser. "I was just about to grab some lunch, you guys in?"

Accepting her answer as honest, the boys immediately give into food. "Yeah, you know us, we're always there if there's food involved." Esposito grins and starts to walk towards the elevator.

"Give me sec, I'm just going to use the ladies room before we go." The boys nod and she makes her trip to the bathroom quick. On the elevator ride down to the lobby, Beckett takes out her phone and sends a text message to her husband. Castle is very disappointed that he had meetings today when he reads the words on his phone screen.

 _Our little one is moving around today. The books were right, it feels like butterflies. Can't wait for you to be able to feel it too. Hope your meeting is going well. Xoxo K_

 _23 weeks_

Beckett is reading a book, leaned up against the headboard of the bed. Her eyes are starting to feel heavy and she is considering putting the book down and going to sleep when something startles her into complete awareness.

"Castle!"

He is in the bathroom, having just put down his tooth brush, when he hears Beckett's yelp. Panic consumes his whole body and he makes it to her side in record time.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Is it the baby?" He says in one breath. His only response is Beckett taking his hand and resting it on her abdomen. He is confused, wondering what on earth is going on when he feels it. A kick. Their baby. He sinks to his knees beside the bed, both of their hands getting to feel the life they created move around. They stay frozen like this until the baby decides it has had enough excitement and settles down.

 _25 weeks_

Beckett is huge. She is standing in her bedroom looking at herself in the mirror. She was reluctant to buy maternity clothes in the early stages of her pregnancy, but Alexis and Lanie convinced her to go and there were some surprisingly nice outfits. But now she has a massive round belly and is feeling quite sensitive about it.

As if reading her mind, Castle steps up behind her and says "You're beautiful, Kate." She knows that he means it. And regardless of her self-awareness, she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Thank you." She responds timidly, a blush appearing on her cheeks. The big stomach is just proof of the life growing inside of her, and she likes that constant reminder.

 _28 weeks_

Now that Martha no longer lives in the loft, they have an extra bedroom which they converted into a nursery. Castle and Beckett agreed on a safari theme, and it has turned out perfectly. On the far wall is a brown shelving unit to match the hardwood floors, comprised of 20 slots. These shelves are filled with books, family portraits and toys. Sitting nearby, on the right hand side of the room is a rocking chair with the cutest blanket folded over it. The blanket, which Alexis bought for them, has an outline of a giraffe on top of a bunch of different coloured squares. On the wall behind the chair, they have left room to hang the letters of their baby's name. On the other side of the room, the baby's white crib sits in front of a large window. The sheets are made up of a pattern that mixes white, beige, and gray, and an elephant stuffed animal lays in the crib. A mobile that features a small elephant, lion, giraffe, and toucan hangs above the bed. In the center of the room, they laid down a circular carpet. On the right hand side on the door, there is a dresser with a safari themed photograph hanging above, and finally on the left of the door, there is a changing table.

Kate is peering into the room with a smile on her face, happy with the finished product. She hears someone ascending the stairs and turns around to see Alexis coming down the hallway. She notices the young woman has a bag in her hands.

"I don't know who's worse, you or your father." She sends Alexis a pointed look.

"Oh definitely my dad." She replies easily. "But I just had to. Trust me, just look." At this she pulls a large wall sticker from the bag. It is a monkey, and Beckett can't help but laugh.

"You're right, I don't think I could have walked away without it either."

"Right? You guys can do what you want with it, but I thought it would look really cute hanging from the last letter of the baby's name when the letters go up."

"That's a good plan." Beckett takes the sticker from Alexis and places it on the dresser. "Thank you, Alexis." The girl smiles and offers Beckett her arm. "I think dinner is almost ready, you hungry?"

Beckett gladly accepts her arm. "Very. Your sibling loves food." And together they make their way down the stairs to join Castle and Martha for dinner.


	8. Comfort Rule 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.

 **8\. Comfort Rule #1**

 _Week 30_

It is a Sunday night and Martha has come over for moral support. 2 hours earlier, Alexis had come home very upset. Castle was out with Ryan and Esposito for a boy's night out and Beckett had been lying on the couch with a heating pad to relieve her back pain when Alexis came through the door. Taking one glance at the girls face, she knew something was wrong.

"Alexis? What's wrong?" she had asked in a calm soothing voice.

It appeared as if Alexis was going to try to avoid having a conversation. She looked towards the stairs and was about to speak but then she stopped. Her shoulders slumped and her head bowed for a moment. When she returned her gaze to Beckett, there were tears in her eyes. Beckett rose, rather ungracefully, from the couch and made her way to Alexis. She wrapped her arms around the girl while she cried, wanting to provide comfort. When Alexis' tears stopped, she was finally able to get a few words out.

"We broke up."

Knowing that she must be talking about Lucas, Beckett directed the girl to the couch.

"I'll get the ice cream, and then we can talk." Alexis smiled and thanked Kate.

2 hours later, Martha, Beckett and Alexis were all sitting on the couch laughing with three empty bowls of ice cream littering the coffee table. Lucas, after having been dating Alexis for 8 months, decided to continue his studies in another country the following semester. Although Alexis was happy that he was following his desires to study abroad, she had been so angry and upset that he hadn't discussed it with her. Out of the blue on their "date" earlier this evening he had sprung everything on her and broken up with her. Luckily Kate and Martha had been around to sooth the pain.

"Alright ladies, I think I'll be making my exit for the night." Martha stands and brings the bowls to the kitchen, rinses them, and deposits them into the dishwasher.

"Thanks for coming over Grams." Alexis says when they reach the loft door.

"Anytime kiddo. You feeling any better?"

"I'm still upset, but I'm a lot less angry now." Alexis gives her Grams a hug, and they all head off to their own beds.

* * *

Its midnight when Castle's heavy footsteps alert Beckett to his arrival. She turns in bed and smiles at the dark shadow standing above her. "Hey babe. How was boy's night?"

"It was good. How was your night?"

"Mhmm good. You should talk to Alexis in the morning. She and Lucas broke up, she was pretty upset earlier."

"I actually got to speak to her already. She was drinking tea in the kitchen when I got home."

"Oh good. I hope she gets some sleep."

"Me too. And Kate?"

"Mmm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being there for Alexis. You're amazing. You even referred to Castle Comfort Rule #1."

"I know in this family there is no comfort unless there is also ice cream."

Castle laughs at her remark. "Alright Kate, go to bed. I won't be long."

"Okay. Goodnight, love you."

Castle leans down and presses a kiss to his wife's temple.

"Goodnight, I love you too."

He walks into the bathroom thinking about what a great mother Katherine Beckett is to Alexis, and will be to their child. His thoughts are interrupted by Beckett rushing past him to go to the washroom. He tries to stifle a laugh when he hears her muttering something about "Having to pee every God damn hour."


	9. New Arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.

 **9\. New Arrival**

 _Week 40 - January 20th 2015_

"It's real, Beckett. I saw them with my own eyes."

"Narnia is not real, Castle." Beckett rolls her eyes at her husband's crazy theory.

"Alexis was there! She can confirm what I'm saying."

"I don't doubt what you're saying. However, two males and two females walking a lion-like dog does not mean Narnia exists."

"Beckett, you are missing so many important details. All four individuals were British, all sharing features which leads me to believe that they are siblings. And the lion dog is just how Aslan would appear in _our_ world to minimize the possibility of being discovered. Not only that, but they called the younger looking girl _Lucy_. Lucy! I'm telling you, Narnia exists."

Beckett bursts into laughter. Her husband's crazy theories mixed with the look on his face makes it impossible not to.

"I would love to agree with you Castle." Beckett allows a smile of triumph to appear on his face before continuing. "But I don't like being wrong."

"Just for that I'm picking the movie tonight." Castle gets up from the couch to grab the remote. He turns on the television as he sits back down beside Beckett. He flips through five channels before they are met with the sight of the film _Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe_ playing on the screen in front of them. Castle's eyes go wide and he points towards the screen.

"It's a sign!"

Beckett is laughing hysterically at this point. Between breaths she manages to get the word "Coincidence" out.

Soon however, her laughter is cut off abruptly. It's her turn for wide eyes. Castle, confused, asks "What is it?"

"Castle. My... I think… my water just broke."

Castle's eyes travel towards the wet looking spot on the sofa. Both individuals are frozen in their places. Finally, Beckett struggles to stand up, having a massive lump protruding from her belly in her way. This kicks Castle into gear. He rushes to stand up and offers both hands to his wife in assistance, panic evident on his face. When Beckett is standing, Castle digs around in his pocket and pulls out his phone. Beckett starts to walk towards the bedroom to change her pants thinking that Castle is calling the car service.

Instead she hears him say "Siri, call me an ambulance!"

Beckett stops in her place and turns to give Castle a pointed look.

" _From now on, I'll call you "An Ambulance". Okay?"_ comes the animated voice from the phone.

"No Siri, you need to call an-"

"Castle! Either use that phone to call the car service or put it away. I am not taking an ambulance to the hospital."

"But Beckett-"

"Rick. Look at me. I'm good, we're good. I'm going to go change and you're going to gather the bag we packed specifically for this reason. Together we'll go to the hospital, and soon enough we'll be meeting our baby. Okay?"

Beckett's calm, soothing voice was exactly what he needed. He closes his phone and follows her to the bedroom to gather what they need.

* * *

 _January 21st 2015_

"Ahhhhhhh"

It has been 17 hours and 34 minutes since Beckett's water broke. It happened the previous night around 9pm. The couple made it safely to the hospital 45 minutes later, Castle having called everyone on the way in. Now all of their family and friends are anxiously sitting in the waiting room. It is almost 2 pm the following day and both husband and wife are exhausted as the doctor tells them that they're almost there. Just a few more pushes. Castle wants to be encouraging to his wife, but his previous attempts had failed miserably.

" _Kate, sweetheart, remember that staying calm is supposed to help speed up the process."_ That comment, about 7 hours into the delivery, had earned him a rather nasty glare from his wife. So instead he whispers words of love to Beckett and allows her to squeeze his hand (very, _very_ hard.)

"Good job. You're doing great Kate. Just one more push for me. One more." Doctor Eiver has been spectacular all night, putting Beckett at ease throughout some of the worst contractions.

Beckett squeezes Castle's hand again while giving one last big push. It's the sound of crying that makes her stop pushing. She opens her eyes and sees Doctor Eiver taking a small bundle over to a table nearby. All the nurses surround their little baby and preform the typical tests, as well as clean the baby off. When the doctor returns to the bed, she hands a very sweaty Beckett a small bundle wrapped in white blankets.

"Congratulations on the birth of a healthy boy."

Castle and Beckett are overjoyed as they look at their son for the first time. A tiny little human that they created. He's perfect. He has strands of brown hair laying on his head, and hazel eyes to match his mother's. His eyes are unfocused as they travel between Castle, Beckett and the surrounding room. They're not sure how much time has passed, but they decide to finally choose a name.

* * *

Everyone is relatively quiet in the waiting room. They took turns sleeping throughout the night but now it's 2 o'clock in the afternoon and everyone is very awake. They hear a door open and when they realize its Castle coming through it, everyone hurries to their feet. He approaches them slowly, joy evident on his face. When they are all close enough to see the baby, Castle says: "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to our healthy boy, Andrew James Castle."

He glances at Jim who looks surprised to hear the middle name.

"Congratulations bro." Javier says.

"Yeah Castle, congratulations." Kevin adds and pats Castle on the shoulder. Lanie is gushing over "how cute" Andrew is while Alexis steals her baby brother from their father. They spend a few minutes with the youngest member of the family before Castle decides it may be best to bring him back to his mother "before she gets too cranky".

Lanie stops by Beckett's room first. "Girl, you and writer boy make some damn cute looking babies. Beckett blushes as a response. Ryan, Jenny and Esposito make a quick appearance, wishing them well and telling the new parents to keep them updated. Then Castle and Beckett are left with Martha, Alexis and Jim.

"How are you feeling, darling?" asks Martha.

"Good." After a beat, she adds "I'm so happy, Martha." It's true, Beckett looks exhausted, but truly happy.

"He's beautiful, Katie."

"Thank you, dad."

Beckett lets out a yawn, and all eyes are on Andrew when he imitates his mother and also yawns just moments after she does.

"Oh my word, I can't get over his cuteness." Castle and Beckett let out a laugh at Alexis' comment.

"Well kiddos, I'll be heading home now. I'll probably take a nap. Call me when you are settled at home and I will come by to visit this little guy." Martha runs her hand over Andrew's head.

"Okay mother, thank you for being here."

"Anytime, Richard."

"I'll be going too, but same goes for me. Give me a call when you're home."

"We will dad. See you later."

Alexis stays glued in her spot beside Beckett and her brother for a few minutes longer before saying "I guess I should go as well."

Taking Alexis' hand, Beckett tells her "You can stay Alexis," wanting her step-daughter to know she is welcome.

"I really want to, believe me. But I do have a class at 5 o'clock that I should probably get to."

"You always were one to put school first." Castle says. "Alright Pumpkin, be safe. See you tonight?"

"Oh yeah, I can't stay away from this little face. I'll be back around 7:30. Bye dad." Alexis gives her father a big embrace and then moves to Beckett. "Bye Kate." Alexis gives her a kiss on the cheek and then glances over at her now sleeping brother. "Bye Andrew," she whispers. The girl replicates her Grandmother's action and gently rubs a hand along the baby's head.

"Bye Alexis." Both adults say at the same time as they watch the young red head reluctantly leave the hospital room.

Castle pulls a chair up next to Beckett's bed. "Do you want to get some sleep?" he asks quietly.

"Soon, I just want to look at him for a little longer."

"Okay."

There are several minutes of silence before Beckett speaks.

"I love you, Rick." She looks at him with so many emotions floating in her eyes.

"I love you too, Kate."

Beckett's eyes eventually close, and Castle gently removes their son from her arms. He settles into the chair again and watches over two of his favourite people.


	10. A Successful Plan

Thank you for all of the positive feedback!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.

 **10\. A Successful Plan**

After being settled at home, the Castles added a few final details to the nursery. The letters of Andrew's name now hang on the wall above his crib, and the "w" has the monkey Alexis bought hanging from it. Over the past few weeks, the loft has been full of many visitors. Captain Gates, Lanie, Jenny and the boys have come over, Lanie being a complete baby hog. Maddie and Sophia have both stopped in to meet Andrew, and even Aunt Theresa made a trip out. Martha and Jim come by at least 3 times a week to visit their grandchildren and give both parents a break. Beckett, however, has refused to go out and take a night off. She'll lay down and take a nap, but Castle has not yet convinced her to do anything else. So today they have a plan.

It's a Saturday afternoon when Martha and Jim both arrive around 3 o'clock. Beckett is in the living room with Castle and Andrew. At four weeks old, the baby is making a lot of noises. He gurgles, grunts and coos. Alexis leads her grandparents to the rest of the family, where her brother is lying on his back on a blanket. Castle is lying down next to him, reaching his hands into the air while Beckett watches with affection in her eyes. Their son has started to find the shapes hanging above him absolutely mesmerizing. The mobile in his crib, the toys hanging from his bouncer, his parent's faces.

"Hey kiddos." Both Castle and Beckett look up.

"Hi mother, Jim." Castle says, but stays where he is on the floor next to Andrew.

"I didn't know you guys were coming by today." Beckett says as she stands to hug first Martha, and then her father.

"Alexis actually asked us to." Jim says gently.

Beckett looks over at her step-daughter, surprised. Usually Alexis tells them if she has invited somebody over, even if it's family.

Alexis looks rather nervous when she speaks next, although she is just putting on a show for Beckett.

"I asked Grams and Jim to come over because I have a date next weekend and I need a new outfit. We're going dancing, so I was wondering if you would come shopping with me?" She doesn't take a breath and it all comes out very fast. Alexis looks at Beckett with hopeful eyes.

Beckett is a little confused at first. _Why not just get Castle to watch Andrew? Why get my dad and Martha to come babysit?_ And then it hits her. They're tag teaming her. She has been reluctant to leave the house since they brought their baby boy home. Beckett glances at her son lying down on the ground. In reality, she just doesn't want to miss anything Andrew does. She wants to hear every sound, see every expression her son makes. But she understands that she needs to let go, even just a tiny bit.

Alexis thinks they've lost when Beckett's eyes land on Andrew, so she is surprised when Beckett turns back to her and says: "Sure Alexis, I'll come with you. Did you want to leave now?"

It takes Alexis a moment to find her voice. "Uh, whenever you're ready."

"Okay, I'll just go get changed. Give me 15 minutes."

"Okay, thanks Kate."

When Beckett emerges from her room, she finds Andrew on his stomach, with Castle and Alexis on each of his sides, and Martha and Jim sitting on the couch.

"Ready, Alexis?"

"Yeah!" the red head answer and hops up to get her shoes on. Beckett makes a quick detour, picking Andrew up off his blanket and cradling him to her chest for a moment.

She whispers words that only he can hear.

"Bye Andrew, bye my sweet boy. I'll be back soon, okay? Just a couple hours and mommy will be home. Be good for daddy and Grams and Grandpa. I love you." It takes everything she has to hand her husband their son and walk out the door.

"See you all later." She says as she shuts the front door.

Castle looks down at Andrew, and then up to his mother and Jim. "Part 1: Success."

* * *

They walk into a third store, not having had any luck in the first two. Alexis bypasses a few racks of dresses and moves deeper into the store. When she turns around, she finds Beckett looking at a dark green dress. _Good,_ she thinks, _just like we planned._ She makes her way over to Beckett who can't take her eyes off the knee length dress that would fit her perfectly.

"Wow. That's nice. You should try in on." Alexis says to her step-mom.

Beckett is startled by the sound of Alexis' voice, not having seen her approach. "Oh no. We're here for you, come on." The older of the two women starts to take off. "Kate, seriously. This would look gorgeous on you. Try it on." She checks the tag and adds "It's your size."

Beckett gives in, the dress is exactly her style and imagines it wold look very nice. After gathering a few pieces of clothing for Alexis to try on, they head to the dressing rooms. Needless to say that Beckett leaves the store with a new dress, and so does Alexis.

 _Part 2: Success_

* * *

As they walk towards the subway, Beckett realizes she never asked Alexis who this mystery date was.

"So who are you going out on a date with? Anyone I know?" Beckett assumes the answer is no, she only knows a handful of Alexis' friends.

Alexis smiles as she thinks of her date. "No, his name is David. We have some mutual friends."

"Is he still in school?"

"Yes, he goes to Columbia. He's studying to become a teacher. He'll be certified to teach K-12 when he graduates, but his goal is to teach high school."

"What would he be teaching?"

"English and art."

Beckett grins. "He already reminds me of your father." she says teasingly recalling that girls always seem to fall for guys similar to their fathers. She can't deny that she did, her father and Castle certainly share many traits.

* * *

When they reach the street where the subway is located, Alexis starts to turn left.

"Alexis, the subway is this way." Beckett says as she reaches out to direct the girl in the opposite direction.

"Actually, I wanted to check something out down this way. Do you mind?"

Beckett is curious and agrees to go with her. They are walking down the sidewalk chatting when something catches Beckett's eye.

"Castle?"

He is wearing a suit, a green tie, and a smug grin. It is then that Beckett realizes where they are, standing outside of a little place they've been once before. _Harmony House_ serves a delicious meal that is followed by lots of dancing.

"You didn't"

"I did."

"So this wasn't just any plan to get me out of the house."

"No, this was a plan to get you on a well-deserved date."

Turning to look at the girl beside her. "Alexis? Did he put you up to this?"

"In a way…I really do have a date next weekend, I really did need a new outfit, and I truly wanted you to come shopping with me. However, that green dress you are holding in your hands may have been planned, as well as the babysitters and the whole timing of this excursion."

Beckett smiles, and then looks down, embarrassed. "I'm sorry it took this much to get me out of the house."

"Kate, _no_. I understand how you feel. It's hard to leave Andy with other people, no matter how much we trust them. You think of the little things you might miss. But we need to learn to let go sometimes."

Beckett looks up at Castle, and moves towards him, bringing their lips together in a gentle kiss.

"Thank you, Rick. For all of this."

"My pleasure."

Alexis, figuring it's time for her to leave, says "Well I'll leave you guys to it. Enjoy your evening, I'll see you at home."

"Thank you Alexis." Beckett says and adds "Be safe" before the girl heads to the subway.

"So…" Castle starts, "Shall we?"

"We shall."

 _Part 3: Success_

* * *

They arrive at home just in time for Andrew's night time feeding. Beckett takes her son from Jim's arms.

"He woke up maybe 15 minutes ago and started to get a little cranky."

"Yeah, he's getting hungry." Beckett moves to sit on the couch, getting in a comfortable position to feed the baby. When Andrew latches on after a few minutes, she covers him up with a blanket. Martha is already sitting down with her daughter-in-law and grandson when Castle and Jim return to the living room after getting a glass of water for Beckett, and a tea for Martha.

"So, how was your night?" asks Jim.

"Part four was a success." Castle says, grinning.

Beckett rolls her eyes. Over dinner, Castle had explained how his whole plan had come together. Getting Alexis, who he knew Beckett would not say "no" to, to ask Beckett for help was the easy part. Making sure she saw the green dress was definitely more difficult. They had store clerks help out a little on that one. And getting Beckett to turn left towards the restaurant instead of heading home to Andrew without a solid explanation was the part of the plan they were most afraid would fail. However, everything worked out well. The couple enjoyed a lovely dinner and some time alone to focus on themselves.

"Yes, we have decided to have date night at the very least once a month. It will definitely be trickier when I'm back at the precinct, but we'll make it work."

"That's wonderful news. We didn't mean to impose, but Richard was rather adamant that you needed a night out."

"Well I'm glad he was so determined."

Soon Martha and Jim have gone and Castle and Beckett are putting Andrew to bed. They have been putting him to sleep in Castle's office, at least until the boy sleeps through the night. This way, they can get to him faster during the night and he doesn't wake Alexis with his cries. Beckett gently lowers Andrew into his crib. She brushes a hand over his head. "Goodnight my sweet boy. Sweet dreams."

Castle stands beside her, with an arm draped around her waist. "Goodnight buddy. Mommy and daddy love you."


End file.
